American Political Behavior Congress Notesheet

Congress

National legislature:

Bicameral

Based on British model

Two houses settle conflict

Two houses check one another

Session- Period of time each year when congress meets

starts January and adjourns in fall

Term- Assigned period of time for an elected officer to serve

Each term has two sessions

Starts January and adjourns in fall

House of Representatives:

435 elected officials in the house

Qualifications:

25 years old, 7 year citizen, live in state

Representatives are elected every two years

Leader is called the speaker of the house

John A Boehner

Puts people on committees

Leads sessions decides who can and call votes

Determined by population

Senate:

100 senators, considered upper house

Qualifications:

30 years of age

citizen for 9 years

live in the state

Leader

Vice president is the president of the senate

president Pro Tempore elected by senate to take VP place

Benefits:

Salary of $150,000+ per year

Leaders earn $200,000+ per year

Generous retirement benefits

Two office buildings at D.C and at home district

Staff members work for them

Franking privileges, free mail

Assorted perks, no petty misdemeanors

Power of congress- Pass and make laws

Congress has power that is delegated to it and not denied to it by the constitution.

The U.S is a federal government, so powers not given to the federal government by the constitution are considered reserved powers

These are the powers that the federal government and state share.

3 basic ways congress delegates power:

Its expressly stated or written in the constitution

Its implied from the expressed powers. even though it is not the in the constitution, we can draw it from what is in the constitution

Its inherent by the creation of the national government for the US. it is basic to what a national government does

Strict vs. Liberal Construction

-Battle over the Constitution continued into the early years of the republic....